English Standard Version

Bible translation infobox | translation_title = English Standard Version


full_name = English Standard Version
abbreviation = ESV
complete_bible_published = 2001
derived_from =
textual_basis = NT: High Correspondence to Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece 27th edition. OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with Septuagint influence.
translation_type = Formal Equivalence
version_revised = Revised Standard Version
reading_level = Middle School
publisher = Crossway Bibles
copyright = Copyright © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a ministry of the Good News Publishers of Wheaton, IL
online_address = http://www.esv.org/
genesis_1:1-3 = In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
john_3:16 = For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The English Standard Version (ESV) is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version. The first edition was published in 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Translation philosophy

The stated intent of the translators was to produce a readable and accurate translation that stands in the tradition of Bible translations beginning with English religious reformer William Tyndale in 1525–26 and culminating in the King James Version of 1611. Examples of other translations that stand in this stream are the Revised Version (1881–85), the American Standard Version (1901), and the Revised Standard Version (1946–52/1971). In their own words, they sought to follow a literal translation philosophy. To that end, they sought as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer, while taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. The result is a translation that is more literal than the popular New International Version, but more idiomatic than the New American Standard Bible.

History

Work on this translation began over the perceived looseness of style and content of recently published English Bible translations. Under noted theologian J.I. Packer who served as general editor the group sought and received permission from the National Council of Churches to use the 1971 edition of the RSV as the English textual basis for the ESV. Nevertheless, only about 5%–10% of the RSV text was changed in the ESV. Many corrections were made to satisfy objections to some of the RSV's interpretations that conservative Protestants had considered as theologically liberal, for example, changing the translation of the Hebrew "almah" from "young woman" to "virgin" in . The language was modernized to remove "thou" and "thee" and replace obsolete words (e.g., "jug" for "cruse").

The ESV underwent a minor revision in 2007. [Mansfield, R. [http://homepage.mac.com/rmansfield/thislamp/files/20070625_2007_esv_hebrews_revelation.html 2007 ESV Changes: Hebrews - Revelation] , This Lamp.] The publisher has chosen not to identify the updated text as a second or revised edition; it is intended to replace the original ESV under the original name. [ Mansfield, R. [http://homepage.mac.com/rmansfield/thislamp/files/20070625_esv_edition_comparison_backlash.html ESV Comparison Backlash??] , This Lamp.] At present, both revisions coexist on the market.

An edition of the ESV with Apocrypha (featuring Protestant Apocrypha, books of the Roman Catholic Old Testament, and the Eastern Orthodox Old Testament) is being developed by Oxford University Press and will be available on December 31, 2008. [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Bibles/TextReferenceBibles/?view=usa&ci=9780195289107] The publisher sites the fact that the ESV "has been growing in popularity among students in biblical studies, mainline Christian scholars and clergy, and Evangelical Christians of all denominations." Thus, they deemed that "Along with that growth comes the need for the books of the Apocrypha to be included in ESV Bibles, both for denominations that use those books in liturgical readings and for students who need them for historical purposes." The publisher's hope for this new edition with Apocrypha is that it will be used widely in seminaries and divinity schools where the Apocrypha is used in academic study. [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Bibles/TextReferenceBibles/?view=usa&ci=9780195289107]

Textual basis

When necessary to translate difficult passages, the translators referred to the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible (as found in the second edition of "Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia"), to the United Bible Societies' fourth edition of the Greek New Testament, and to the twenty-seventh edition of Nestle and Aland's "Novum Testamentum Graece". In a few exceptionally difficult cases, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac Peshitta, the Latin Vulgate, and other sources were consulted to shed possible light on the text or, if necessary, to support a divergence from the Masoretic text.

Criticism and controversy

Dr. Mark L. Strauss, who has defended gender neutral Bible translations like the TNIV, NLT, and NRSV, argues that the ESV uses similar gender neutral language. He wrote, “What is odd and ironic is that some of the strongest attacks against the gender language of the TNIV are coming from those who produced similar gender changes in the ESV”.cite web
url = http://www.geocities.com/bible_translation/list/files/gender-inclusive-esv.doc
title = The Gender-Neutral Language of the English Standard Version (ESV)
accessdate = 2007-12-03 | last = Strauss
first = Mark L
date =
year =
month =
format = Microsoft Word Document
quote = What is odd and ironic is that some of the strongest attacks against the gender language of the TNIV are coming from those who produced similar gender changes in the ESV] Strauss has also suggested that criticism against competing Bible translations to the ESV is marketing contrived. cite web | url = http://www.geocities.com/bible_translation/list/files/gender-inclusive-esv.doc
title = The Gender-Neutral Language of the ESV | last = Strauss | first = Mark] ESV translator Wayne Grudem has responded that, while on occasion the ESV translates "person" or "one" where previous translations used "man", it keeps gender specific language where that is in the original, so it does not go as far as gender inclusive translations such as the TNIV and NRSV; [cite web|url=http://www.faithandvalues.com/gateways/tnivdebate.pdf|title=TNIV Debate Between Wayne Grudem and Mark Strauss] and the ESV web site makes a similar statement. [ [http://www.esv.org/translation/gender Gender Issues] , ESV web site] For instance, unlike the TNIV and NRSV, it never changes "brothers" to "brothers and sisters". This of course presupposes that adelphos is gender specific in every context, a point disputed by such as Don Carson, citing in the singular Mt.5:22, and noting that the Colorado Springs guidelines (B.2) were revised to allow at least the plural adelphoi to be translated "brothers and sisters" [The Inclusive Language Debate 1998:131] .

Bible translator and linguist Wayne Leman has compiled a list of translation problems in the ESV. [ [http://www.geocities.com/bible_translation/esvlinks.htm ESV Links] , see heading "ESV translation problems, noted by Wayne Leman"]

Use of the ESV

Two previously existing study bibles have been adapted to use the ESV text: the Scofield Study Bible (Oxford University Press, 2001, ISBN 9780195278750), which updated the "Scofield Reference Bible", and the "Reformation Study Bible", edited by R.C. Sproul, which adapted the notes from the previous edition that used the New King James Version. The ESV edition was published by P & R Publishing, while the original New King James Version edition was published by Thomas Nelson (publisher).

In 2007, Crossway Bibles published the [http://www.literarystudybible.org/ Literary Study Bible] based on the ESV, with notes on the literary elements of Scripture by literary scholar Leland Ryken of Wheaton College and his son, Presbyterian pastor and theologian Philip Ryken. [http://www.literarystudybible.org]

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has adopted the ESV as the official text used in its official hymnal "Lutheran Service Book", released in August 2006. It is in use in the church's three and one year lectionaries released with "Lutheran Service Book." The official publishing arm of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Concordia Publishing House, is using the English Standard Version as its translation of choice in all its published materials. Concordia Publishing House is releasing The Lutheran Study Bible in October 2009, which will use the ESV translation.

The [http://www.esvstudybible.org/ ESV Study Bible] is due to be released by Crossway Bibles in October 2008. The general editor is Wayne Grudem, and features ESV editor J.I. Packer as theological editor. [http://www.esvstudybible.org]

Sources

*Crossway Bibles. [http://www.gnpcb.org/page/esv_philosophy/ "Translation Philosophy"] . Retrieved March 17, 2004.
*Marlowe, Michael D. (Oct 2001). [http://www.bible-researcher.com/esv.html "English Standard Version"] . Retrieved March 17, 2004.
*Ryken, Leland (2002). "The Word of God in English" (available online [http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/woge.pdf here] - 1.2MB PDF) . Wheaton, IL: Crossway. ISBN 1-58134-464-3. Ryken, an English professor from Wheaton College, worked as the literary stylist for the ESV.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.esv.org/ ESV official website]
* [http://www.esvstudybible.org/ ESV Study Bible official website]
* [http://www.esvliterarystudybible.org/ ESV Literary Study Bible official website]
* [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Bibles/TextReferenceBibles/?view=usa&ci=9780195289107/ ESV Bible with Apocrypha] Official page from Oxford University Press
* [http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ ESV text online] - From the website of Good News / Crossway (the publisher of the ESV)
* [http://www.podbible.org podBible] - Freeware port of the ESV New Testament to the iPod
* [http://www.geocities.com/bible_translation/esvlinks.htm ESV links] - an extensive set of links on the ESV, maintained by Bible translator Wayne Leman.

* [http://www.christiancourier.com/feature/december2002.htm Dec 2002 ESV review] by "The Christian Courier" magazine.
* [http://www.evangelicalbible.com/why.htm "Why the English Standard Version?"] from an online retailer
* [http://collegeblog.midbible.ac.uk/?p=265 "Attention Exegetes: Which Bible Translation?"] from the Midlands Bible College and Divinity School
* [http://voiceofiyov.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-i-don-like-esv.html "Why I Don't Like the ESV"] from the Voice of Iyov Blog